


Lock screen, Home screen, and Everything in-between

by Bellakitse



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Romance, soft boys in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:34:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24079069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bellakitse/pseuds/Bellakitse
Summary: “TK, am I your lock screen?” Carlos asks, grin still in place, it’s both warm and amused at once.“What – ” TK looks down to find that his thumb is still on his phone, causing the lock screen to light up. The picture on his screen is indeed Carlos, his eyes closed with a beautiful wide smile on his face showing off his perfect pearly whites. He remembers taking the picture when Carlos was mid-laugh.A picture leads to a confession.Written for Lone Star Week Day 6 - Romance
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 43
Kudos: 532
Collections: 9-1-1 Lone Star Week





	Lock screen, Home screen, and Everything in-between

**Author's Note:**

> Anon request: Hey! I love your writing and i was wondering if you would write a prompt for tarlos? I saw it and immediately thought of them. “I’m your lock screen?!” - “You weren’t supposed to see that.” thank you either way!!!
> 
> here you go nonnie. 💕

TK Strand is in the middle of a boring shift; he knows that boring is good in his line of work; it means no one’s life or property is in danger. Firefighters are always grateful for dull days. Knowing this doesn’t change the fact that he’s bored out of his mind though. He’s been on shift for the last seven hours with another five to go, and they’ve only had one real call today that ended almost as soon as it started.

He and the rest of the crew clean around the station and detail the trucks until they gleam. Marjan, realizing he’s restless, dares him to a plank challenge where she proceeds to kick his ass. He’s fit, but there’s a very good chance Marjan is Wonder Woman. He annoys Judd into another game of foosball, only to be called a cheater again by the Texan, who’s really just a sore loser. Now, still bored, but with nothing to do, he sits on one of the couches in the common room, scrolling through his phone while Judd sits across from him reading a book. Paul fusses around in the kitchen while Marjan and Mateo play some racing game on the PlayStation.

“Take that probie!” Marjan crows triumphantly.

TK looks up just in time to see Marjan cross the finish line in the game. Shaking his head, a smile tugs at his mouth as she gloats in the probie’s face. Mateo looks back at her with reluctant affection.

He goes back to his phone, his thumb swiping up to unlock it when a weight presses behind his left shoulder.

“Hey, sweetheart,” says a familiar voice that makes his insides jump pleasantly.

He tips his head back to find his boyfriend Carlos smiling down at him, his eyes warm the way they always seem to be when they’re on him. It makes his heart skip a beat, and he has to remind himself not to act like a teenager with a crush.

“Hey you,” he greets back with a smile of his own, his reminder not really working if how big his smile feels is any indication. “What brings you by?”

“I was dropping something off for Michelle, saw that all the trucks were here and figured I’d come upstairs and – ” Carlos stops mid-sentence as something else catches his attention.

“ _And?”_ TK prompts when Carlos doesn’t continue; he frowns, confused by the broad smile taking over Carlos’ face.

“TK, am I your lock screen?” Carlos asks, grin still in place, it’s both warm and amused at once.

“What – ” TK looks down to find that his thumb is still on his phone, causing the lock screen to light up. The picture on his screen is indeed Carlos, his eyes closed with a beautiful wide smile on his face showing off his perfect pearly whites. He remembers taking the picture when Carlos was mid-laugh.

“You weren’t supposed to see that,” he blurts out loudly, slapping his hand over his screen.

He cringes as Judd slowly lowers his book, while Marjan and Mateo pause their game. All three look over at them with amused smiles on their faces. He’s sure if he turns around to look in the kitchen, he’ll find that Paul has stopped what he’s doing to watch them too.

“TK – “ Carlos starts softly. He can hear the gentleness in his voice but also the humor, and he feels his face grow hot at his tone, along with the grins on his crew’s faces.

Not really looking at anyone, he shoots up out of the couch. “I gotta go,” he gets out, his face growing hotter when his voice cracks.

“Where? You’re on shift!” Judd calls out to him, but TK isn’t listening, not when his sole focus is to get away from everyone’s amused looks as they watch him leave.

He turns the corner and heads for the dorm rooms. He knows his reaction is downright childish, but now that he’s started, he wants to commit to the behavior, hide under his blanket until his face isn’t so red, and he can erase from his memory the look on his crew’s faces. He finds a half-asleep Buttercup on his bed; the big mutt opens an eye to look at him. Proving how sensitive he is to TK, the second he sits down, Buttercup shifts over to rest his head on his lap, looking up at him with sleepy soulful eyes.

“Thanks, buddy,” he says softly, running his hand over the top of the dog’s head. He hears footsteps, but doesn’t bother to look up from petting the Bernese on his lap; he already knows who it is.

Carlos sits down next to him; he doesn’t say anything; instead, he just waits silently in that supportive way of his until TK is ready to speak.

“I overreacted to you seeing your picture on my phone,” he says quietly, looking up from Buttercup to Carlos. He takes in the gentle, concerned look on his face and feels something shift inside. “I don’t even know why.”

“Maybe because it feels like revealing something you weren’t ready for me to know?” Carlos questions, still tender and understanding like always.

TK thinks about the statement for a moment and finds truth in it. Carlos knowing that his picture is his lock screen, feels oddly intimate. It leaves him acutely aware of how vulnerable he is with him.

He gives Carlos a small nod. “People have always said I wear my heart on my sleeve,” he starts quietly, biting down on his lip before continuing. “And all it’s gotten me is my heart stomped on.”

“And now it makes you gun-shy to be so exposed,” Carlos answers just as softly. TK feels a wave of affection as he hears no judgment in Carlos’ voice, only empathy.

“It’s not that I want to hide my feelings from you,” TK says quickly, needing Carlos to know that. He doesn’t want his past failures to ruin the good thing he has with Carlos today. “I want you to know I care about you. I hope you know that.”

Carlos answers him with a beautiful smile, his arm coming around TK’s shoulder, giving him a soft pull into his space. TK goes willingly, tucking his face into Carlos’ neck as he gives him a sideways hug. He shifts to get closer to Carlos, and Buttercup makes a grumbling noise from where he rests his head on TK’s lap. He smiles when Carlos’ hand joins his, petting the large dog until he closes his eyes again.

“I know you care about me,” Carlos assures him. “Since we made our relationship official, I haven’t once questioned it.”

TK lets out a relieved sigh. “Good, you need to tell me right away if I ever do something that changes that. I can be self-involved sometimes, but I never want to hurt you because I’m being a clueless dick.”

He feels Carlos shake a little as he laughs. “I promise to tell you if you’re being a dick, Ty.”

TK snorts softly at the teasing. He tilts his head back, pressing his lips against the underside of Carlos’ jaw.

They stay quiet for a moment as TK enjoys Carlos’ embrace. “Can I show you something?” Carlos asks quietly after a moment.

“Mmhmm,” he mumbles, mellowed out from being in his boyfriend’s arms.

He lifts his head from his shoulder when Carlos pulls his phone out, playing with it nervously.

“Okay – so don’t judge me,” Carlos starts, and TK raises an eyebrow at the shy smile he sees on his face. A moment later, he understands why. Carlos’ lock screen is a sleepy TK, and TK remembers the moment Carlos took the picture. It was a few weeks ago when he came over to his place after being on shift for three days, more asleep than awake.

“I’m your lock screen,” he says quietly, going warm to the tip of his toes.

“Not just my lock screen,” Carlos confesses, wrinkling his nose adorably as his cheeks turn pink. He enters his passcode, and TK can see what he means. He’s Carlos’ home screen too; only this time, it’s a picture of them together. One that TK took one afternoon when they were goofing around. Carlos’ face is half-hidden in TK’s shoulder while he smiles at the camera.

“I’m your home screen,” he whispers, letting out a small laugh, he feels so happy he could burst.

“Yes,” Carlos says with a smile of his own, his face is still pink, but his smile is full and pleased. “And if you look at my camera roll, you’ll call me a stalker from the sheer amount of pictures I have of your face.”

TK laughs gleefully, his eyes going a little wet.

Carlos shakes his head at his enjoyment, his lips curved upward. “I just wanted you to know that I feel the same way.”

TK nods, understanding what Carlos is trying to say. He’s grateful for this beautiful man that somehow, despite their less than great start, cares about him – loves him.

Suddenly he’s not as scared anymore, and he takes his phone out, opening his camera.

“What are you doing?” Carlos asks even as he grins, pulling him closer.

“You have a picture of us as your home screen,” TK answers, lifting his phone in front of them. “I need one too.”

Carlos lets out a soft laugh before he smiles as he turns to look at the camera, and TK takes a moment to look at him. He’s so head over heels in love he can’t think straight.

“Carlos?” he murmurs, his lips a breath away from Carlos’ cheek.

“Yeah?” Carlos asks, not looking away from the camera.

TK grins, his heart pounding hard under his chest from how sure he is. “I love you.”

Carlos’ gasp and the sound of the picture taken happen simultaneously. The result is a picture TK will have on his phone for years to come, showing it every time he talks about the love of his life.

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](https://bellakitse.tumblr.com/)


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